Collapsible bookholder



y 1941- G. c. LYNCH COLLAPSIBLE BOOKHOLDER Filed July 17, 1939 65oz as, C- .ZyA/ch',

Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLLAPSIBLE BOOKHOLDER George C. Lynch, Los Angeles, Calif.

' Application July 17, 1939, Serial No. 284,831

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a collapsible book holder or reading rack.

It is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible book holder which can bereadily collapsed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a book holder which folds into a minimum compass for shipment. 1

It is a further object of the invention to provide a collapsible book holder'which upon being set up maintains its condition without the use of catches, latches, or similar unreliable devices.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a collapsible book holder which is stable when supporting a book or other article.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a collapsible book holder which, for purposes of economy in manufacture, has a minimum number of parts and which entails in its manufacture a minimum of forming and assembling operations.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of theinvention; For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it isto'be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a collapsible book holder in a position for use.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, additionally showing, in dotted outlines, the collapsed position of the movable parts.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device in collapsed condition; and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the bookholder comprises an upright back supporting member IQ, of any convenient construction, shown in this embodiment as a bent and welded wire construction, generally flat in aspect, with side members I I bent inwardly at some distance from the lower edge, as at I2, and provided with feet I3 preferably formed of the wire composing the side members.

Pivotally supported upon the upright back supporting member I0, in a manner hereinafter described, is a shelf I4, whose construction is a generally plane figure, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, its side members I4a having outwardly extending portions I5. The front of said shelf is provided with portions I6 bent out of the plane so as to form means to restrain the lower end of a book or other article when the shelf .is in the position shown in Figure. 2..

Also pivoted to the back supporting member III is a base member I'I, generally U-shaped in configuration, its side members IIa having outwardly extending portions i8:

Suitably fastened, as by welding, to the'side members I I of the, upright back supporting mem ber I 0- are brackets I9 of a construction shown clearly in Figures 3 and 4. Each of these brackets I9 is shown as being in the form of a metal stamping having an angular depression 25 formed,

therein to receive a portion of a side member. and an inwardly extending portion I2.of' the back supporting member Ill. Said brackets are provided with apertures 2I and 22 for receiving the portions I51 and I8, respectively. It should be noted that the apertures are in portions of the brackets not in the same plane, and that one is above the other on the height of the back supporting member It, as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, the apertures 21 and 220i each bracket are on opposite sides of a side member I I-, and above and below a horizontal portion I2 of the back supporting member.

With this construction set forth, the operation of the device should be apparent. In Figure 3 the device isishown'in folded position, and attention is directed to the fact'that the back sup port I0, shelf I4, and base member I! nest together, due to the ofiset relation of the apertures in the brackets I9, and that the shelf portions I6 can enter into spaces provided between the sides I I and the center construction of the back supporting member.

To open the device for use, it is only necessary to swing the base member I! approximately 270 degrees about its pivots, it being prevented from turning farther by the engagement of its sides Ila with the under sides of the horizontal portions I2 of the back support. At the same time, the shelf member I4 is lowered about its pivots, and is prevented from lowering beyond an approximately horizontal position by the engagement of its side members I4a with the horizontal portions I 2, or the upper surfaces I 9a on the bracket I 9. The V-shaped construction Mb in v the shelf, best shown in Figure 3, is such as to provide an added support for a book or other article, and insures against slippage of a book or 1. A collapsible book rest comprising an up right supporting member, a base member secured to said supporting member, and a shelf secured to said supporting member, said base member and said shelf member being separately hinged to said upright member on opposite sides thereof for pivoting movement to a position substantially adjacent each other and the supporting member, and said upright member being provided with a horizontal portion engaging portions of the shelf and base member when in operative position, whereby upon opening the device the shelf member and the base member lie on the opposite sides of the upright member and are restrained from further movement by the upright member.

2. A collapsible bookholder comprising an upright supporting member having a horizontal portion, a shelf member hinged to the upright supporting member on one side of the horizontal portion, a base member hinged to the upright member on the other side of the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion preventing movement of both the base member and the shelf member beyond a certain point as the bookholder is opened for use, said base member and said shelf member being arranged for pivoting movement to a position substantially adjacent each other and the supporting member.

3. Ina collapsible bookholder, an upright supporting member, a U-shaped shelf member, and

a U-shaped base member, said U-shaped memf bers being of such a size that one can nest within the other, and means pivoting each of said U-shaped members to said upright member in nesting relation to each other and the upright supporting member, and means on said upright member engaging each of said U-shaped members upon pivotal movement of each of said U-shaped members to positions at an angle to said upright member on opposite sides thereof.

4. A collapsible bookholder comprising an upright supporting member including two upright side members, a shelf member, and a base member, said base member and shelf member bein generally U-shaped, and means pivoting said base member and said shelf member to the upright supporting member within the space defined by the said upright side members and one within the other, whereby upon folding movement said upright member and said U-shaped members nest substantially with each other, and stop means on said upright member engaging each of said U-shaped members upon pivoting of said members each to a position at an angle to the upright member and on opposite sides thereof.

5. In a collapsible bookholder, an upright supporting member comprising two upright side members and an upright central member, means supporting said member in an upright position, a shelf member generally U-shaped but with portions bent out of the plane of the U, means pivoting the shelf member to the upright member approximately in the plane thereof, the shelf member being within the space defined by the side members of the upright member, whereby the shelf member can pivot to a position approximately coplanar with the upright member, the bent portions of the shelf member entering the spaces between the central upright member and the side upright members, and stop means on said upright supporting member engaging said shelf member when said shelf member is at an angle to said upright member.

6. In a collapsible bookholder, an upright supporting member comprising two upright side members and an upright central member, means supporting said member in an upright position, a shelf memberpivoted to the upright supporting member to one side of the plane thereof comprising two leg members extending through the plane of the upright members and a connecting member on the ends of the leg members, said connecting member having portions extending towards the axis of the pivot opposite the space between the upright side and central supporting members, and a portion extending away from the axis of the pivot, opposite the central member, and stop means on said upright member engaging said shelf member upon pivotal movement of said shelf member to an angle to said upright member.

GEORGE C. LYNCH. 

